Rail wheel locking mechanism



Oct. 29, 1963 ISATO KOSHOBU RAIL WHEEL LOCKING MECHANISM Filed March 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y hi l 2 5221 Oct. 29, 1963 ISATO KOSHOBU 3,108,513

RAIL WHEEL LOCKING MECHANISM Filed March 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jm M414,

WZMQMY A W i 3,108,513 RAIL WEEEL LOCKENG MECHANEEM Isato Koshobu, Hondori Kure City, Japan, assignor to Toyo Kogyo Company Limited, Hiroshima-ken, liapan Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 94,791 Ciaims priority, application Japan Mar. 19, 1960 2 Claims. (C1. 92-24) The present invention relates'to a locking device for the rail wheel provided on a vehicle for road and rail road having road wheels capable of being operated on roads like ordinary cars besides having rail wheels capable of being locked over or under the road wheel and being capable of running either on the road or rail as required.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the rail wheel can be locked in its specified position to permit safe and reliable operation of the vehicle both on the road by means of the road wheel and on the rail by means of the rail wheel even when the fluid pressure, of the hydraulic hoist which serves to retain the rail wheel in its specified upper or lower position, should happen to fail or the fluid should happen to leak.

Another object of the present invention is to lock the hydraulic hoist in its extended position, and extended or contracted position by attaching an extremely simple device to the conventional piston type hydraulic hoist, thereby preventing it from undesirable contracting or extending movement due to unexpected or injurious actuation confronted thereto.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a fragmental double wheeled chassis for road and rail road constructed according to the invention.

7 MG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a hoist organized in combination with a locking device.

FIG. 3 shows the locking function of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-B of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a similar constitution of the locking device.

FIG. 6 is a modified longitudinal sectional view of a hoist organized in combination with a locking device.

FIG. 7 is a plane view of FIG. 6 showing a longitudinal sectional view of an auxiliary hoist.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CD of FIG. 6.

In the embodiment according to the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings the vehicle for road and rail road is provided with rail wheels 5, fixed to the lower end of hell crank 4 having for its point of support frame 2 or road wheel axle, and installed at one side of road wheels 3 suspended on to frame 2 by means of suspension spring 1. The vehicle is either operated on roads by means of road wheels 3 by lifting up rail wheels 5 over road wheels 3 or operated on rails by means of rail wheels 5 by setting down the rail wheels 5 on rail 7 and lifting up road wheels 3 over the rail 7 by extending and contracting movement of hydraulic hoist 6 connected to the top end of the bell crank 4. The hoist 6 organized in combination with a locking device consists of a cylindrical piston 11 connected to its rod and slidably mounted 3*,lfi8fii3 Patented Got. 29, 1963 in a cylinder 8. A bottomed cylindrical core 13 is mounted slidably within an axial bore 14 of the cylindrical piston 11. The core 13 has a deep groove 16 and a shallow groove 17 on its outer circumferential surface. These two grooves 16 and 17 are united with each other, and balls 19 are interposed within ball holes 18 which are arranged radially on the piston 11 so as to allow the balls to engage with the groove 16 or 17. The ball holes 18 extend to an outer circumferential kerf of the piston 11, and locking members 21) are transversely slidably disposed within the outer circumferential kerf of the piston 11 surrounding the balls within the ball holes 18. Within the bore 14 the core 13 has an axial bore housing an expansive coil spring 12 acting to project the core 13 outwardly of the bore 14. The balls 19 engaged with the deep groove 16 and the locking members 20 are forced together expansively to the direction of the outer circumferential surface of the piston 11 being in contact with each other actuated by the expansive force of the spring 12 propagated through the core 13 and accordingly the outer circumferential edges of the locking members 29 being in contact with the inner circumferential surface of thecylinder 3 are forced against the inner surface of the cylinder 8. A passage 15 communicates through the bore 14 and the bore of the cylinder 8. In the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 8 is a hollow groove 21 at retracting or expanding terminal of the hoist. For maintaining the hoist in the contracted position, the hollow groove 21 is provided on the inner end of the cylinder 8 as shown in F168. 2 and 3, while for maintaining the hoist at expanded state, the hollow groove 21 is provided on the outer end of the cylinder 8 as shown in FIG. 5.

\Vhen the hydraulic pressure is fed from port 9 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) the piston 11 slides to the retracting direction of the hoist. During this operation a port 10 is communicated to the discharge, and the core 13 is simultaneously forced outwardly of the bore 14 receiving the hydraulic pressure through a passage 15 to the bottom part of the bore 14. The hydraulic pressure coming into the bore 14 acts together with the expansive force of the spring 12. At desired retracting terminal, as the locking members 20 being in contact with inner surface of the cylinder 8 and having been forced expansively to the direction of the outer circumferential surface of the piston 11 reach the hollow groove 21 said locking members 24 are projected out and fall into the groove 21 allowing the balls .19 to move outwardly within the ball holes 1-8 and the balls 19 are allowed to escape out of engagement with the deep groove 16. The core 13 receiving the combined force of the expansive spring 12 and the hydraulic pressure fed into the bottom part of the bore 14 is permitted to be projected outwardly of the bore 14, at the same time the balls 19 roll or slide and engage into the shallow groove 17 and contact with the inner edge of the locking members 20 fastening the engagement of the locking members 20 into the groove 21. On the other hand the engagement of the balls '19 with the shallow groove 17 limit the outwardly further projecting movement of the core 13 resisting the combined force of the spring 12 and the hydraulic pressure. The expansive spring 12 is preferably formed of strength enough to retain the core 13 in projected position by its expansive force alone, and thus the locking is fastened firmly and will not permit movement even if the hydraulic pressure is decreased or even vanished entirely.

Referring to the FIG. 1, when the hollow groove 21 is provided on the inner end of the cylinder 8 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) the hoist may be retained in its position and prevent the rail wheels from falling while the vehicle is being operated on the road on road wheels 3 as shown on the right drawing of FIG. 1 after the hydraulic hoist is shifted from the expanded state setting the rail wheel 5 down on rail 7, to the contracted state indicated by the chain line in which the rail wheel 5 is lifted up. Likewise the hydraulic hoist may be retained in its position to prevent accidents by the road wheel contacting the ground while the car is being operated on the rail on rail wheels when the hydraulic hoist is contracted to set down rail wheels 5 on rail 7 as shown in the left drawing of PEG. 1. On the other hand when the hollow groove 21 is provided on the outer end of the cylinder 3 (see FIG. 5) the road wheel is prevented from the danger of contacting the ground, while the vehicle is being operated on the rail with the hoist in its extended state and with rail wheels 5 set down on rail 7 as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 1, while the rail wheel 5 is prevented from falling during operation on the road with the hydraulic hoist in its extended state and rail wheel 5 lifted up as shown in the left drawing of FIG. 1 with chain lines.

When the hydraulic pressure is fed from the port 10, the port 9 is communicated with the discharge and the core 13 is forced and slid inwardly of the bore 14 resisting the expansive force of the spring 12 and allow the balls 19 to disengage from the shallow groove 17 and to fall into the deep groove 16. At the same time the locking members 20 are allowed to escape out from the hollow groove 21 permitting the piston -11 to slide to the expanding direction of the hoist (see FIG. 2), and the rail wheels are set down on rail permitting the vehicle to be operated on the rail (see right drawing of FIG. 1).

FIG. 5 shows a similar form of the locking device arranged to lock at expanding terminal. In the operation of this case, when the hydraulic pressure is fed from the port 10, the piston 11 embracing the core 13 is forced and slides to the expanding direction of the hoist and as the locking members 20 reach the hollow groove 21 at expanding terminal, said locking members 20 fall into the groove 21 and the hoist is locked by means of core 13, spring 12, balls 19 and locking members 20-. Thus the hoist is retained at expanded state to secure the rail wheels on the rail as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 1, or to secure the rail wheels lifted up as shown in the left drawing of FIG. 1 with chain lines. And feeding of hydraulic pressure from port 9 unlocks the locking device by pressure invaded to the bottom part of the bore 14 through the passage 15 forcing the core 13 resisting the expansive spring 12 to the outward of the bore 14 and the hoist is allowed to be retracted to lift up the rail wheel as shown in the right drawing with chain lines, or to set down the rail wheel on the rail as shown in the left drawing, of the FIG. 1.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 shows that the device according to the present invention may be constructed so that locking member 25, which is arranged so that it will fit in between the end part 23 of the cylinder and piston rod head 24 when the hydraulic hoist is extended, is fixed to one end of rotating shaft 22 mounted on the outer side of hydraulic hoist 6, while forked piece 26 is fixed on to the other end of rotating shaft 22 to maintain plunger 28 of auxiliary hoist 27 provided on hydraulic hoist 6 and bell crank 29 in their relative positions. This application also makes it possible for the rotating shaft 22 to rotate through the medium of bell crank 29 and forked piece 26 by extending or contracting plunger .28 of auxiliary hoist 27 and is also arranged so that the hydraulic hoist is prevented from contracting, by fitting locking member 25 between the end part 23 of the cylinder and piston rod head 24, or is arranged so that locking member 25 can escape and be extended freely.

According to this invention, therefore, when operating the vehicle on the rail on rail wheels by extending hoist 6 and setting down rail wheel 5 on rail 7 and lifting road wheel 3 over the rail as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 1, the hydraulic hoist can be retained in the extended state and prevent the danger that would otherwise arise should the road wheel contact the ground while the vehicle is being operated on the rail. Also in the case of the hydraulic hoist shown in the left drawing of FIG. 1 the hoist can be extended to lift rail wheel 5 over road wheel 3 and prevent the rail wheel from falling while the vehicle is being operated on the road.

As has been described so far, this invention makes it possible to retain the hydraulic hoist in its contracted state when the locking device is so arranged as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and prevent it from extending of itself, and also to retain the hydraulic hoist in its extended state when the locking device is so arranged as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8, and prevent it from contracting of itself. These varied locking devices may be selected preferably or provided in combination with others according to the requirements, and such construction will secure the hoist safely all the more, and dangerous movements caused by injurious actuation confronted thereto or caused from decrease or vanish of the hydraulic pressure, will be avoided entirely. Thus the ordinary hydraulic hoist provided with above described simple and effective locking device will retain the nail wheel at its arranged proper order securely, and the vehicle for road and rail road constituted according to this invention will be prevented securely from collapse of its arranged proper order of driving wheels either for road or rail rea And also according to its simple constitution it will be operated very easily, highly efficient with accuracy, and provided at a considerable low cost.

What I claim is:

l. A hydraulic piston-cylinder construction having mechanical locking means, said construction comprising a cylinder having a groove in the internal wall thereof, a hollow piston slidable in said cylinder, a piston rod connected to said piston and extending out of one end of said cylinder, a connecting member on the free end of said piston rod having a diameter larger than that of the piston rod, the groove in said cylinder wall being adjacent the end of the cylinder through which said piston rod extends, said piston having a plurality of radial bores therein, a locking member slidable in each bore, a locking ball in each of said bores at the radially inner end of said locking member in the bore, a cup member slidable inside of said piston, the outer side wall of said cup having a deep groove and a shallow groove adjacent said deep groove, spring means in said cup and adapted to cooperate with said piston rod for urging said cup in a direction such that the deep groove is remote from said locking balls, a collar adapted to partially surround said piston rod, said collar being substantially the same length which said piston rod extends from said cylinder in the fully withdrawn position with the locking members in said groove in said cylinder wall, a shaft rotatably mounted on said cylinder on which said collar is mounted for swinging movement toward and away from said piston rod laterally of said rod, a collar actuating piston-cylinder means connected to said cylinder and actuated simultaneously as said piston is moved along said cylinder to move the piston rod out of the cylinder, said shaft being articulated to said piston cylinder means and rotated by said piston-cylinder means.

2. A hydraulic piston-cylinder construction having mechanical locking means, said construction comprising a cylinder, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a piston rod connected to said piston and extending out of one end of said cylinder, a connecting member on the free end of said is moved along said cylinder to move the piston rod out of the cylinder, said shaft being articulated to said piston cylinder means and rotated by said piston-cylinder means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McDonald Oct. 20, 1953 Schakel Dec. 30, 1958 Driskel et al May 26, 1959 

1. A HYDRAULIC PISTON-CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION HAVING MECHANICAL LOCKING MEANS, SAID CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING A GROOVE IN THE INTERNAL WALL THEREOF, A HOLLOW PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND EXTENDING OUT OF ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER, A CONNECTING MEMBER ON THE FREE END OF SAID PISTON ROD HAVING A DIAMETER LARGER THAN THAT OF THE PISTON ROD, THE GROOVE IN SAID CYLINDER WALL BEING ADJACENT THE END OF THE CYLINDER THROUGH WHICH SAID PISTON ROD EXTENDS, SAID PISTON HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIAL BORES THEREIN, A LOCKING MEMBER SLIDABLE IN EACH BORE, A LOCKING BALL IN EACH OF SAID BORES AT THE RADIALLY INNER END OF SAID LOCKING MEMBER IN THE BORE CUP MEMBER SLIDABLE INSIDE OF SAID PISTON, THE OUTER SIDE WALL OF SAID CUP HAVING A DEEP GROOVE AND A SHALLOW GROOVE ADJACENT SAID DEEP GROOVE, SPRING MEANS IN SAID CUP AND ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID PISTON ROD FOR URGING SAID CUP IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT THE DEEP GROOVE IS REMOTE FROM SAID LOCKING BALLS, A COLLAR ADAPTED TO PARTIALLY SURROUND SAID PISTON ROD, SAID COLLAR BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LENGTH WHICH SAID PISTON ROD EXTENDS FROM SAID CYLINDER IN THE FULLY WITHDRAWN POSITION WITH THE LOCKING MEMBERS IN SAID GROOVE IN SAID CYLINDER WALL, A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CYLINDER ON WHICH SAID COLLAR IS MOUNTED FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PISTON ROD LATERALLY OF SAID ROD, A COLLAR ACTUATING PISTON-CYLINDER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CYLINDER AND ACTUATED SIMULTANEOUSLY AS SAID PISTON IS MOVED ALONG SAID CYLINDER TO MOVE THE PISTON ROD OUT OF THE CYLINDER, SAID SHAFT BEING ARTICULATED TO SAID PISTON CYLINDER MEANS AND ROTATED BY SAID PISTON-CYLINDER MEANS. 